The 21-year-old woman was attacked about 12:30 p.m. as she walked on a wooded path between the Upper Quarry Amphitheater and the Classroom Unit buildings, said Capt. Augie Zigon of the UC Santa Cruz Police Department. She called 911 after the attack and was taken to Dominican Hospital for treatment, campus spokesman Jim Burns said. He said he was unsure what phone she used to make the call.

The woman was struck repeatedly in the head and torso and was badly bruised, Burns said.

"It's shocking," he said. "Obviously our first concern is about the well-being of this young woman."

The suspect did not appear to be armed and was last seen running toward Steinhart Way, police said.

The victim was able to provide a good description of him, Burns said.

He was described as a white man in his 30s with pale skin and a round-shaped face. He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 200 pounds with a muscular or stocky build with dark-black, medium-length hair and green eyes. The suspect also had a dark, full mustache and goatee.

He wore a dark blue T-shirt with lettering on the front, dark blue Levi-type jeans and a black belt with a silver buckle, as well as Oakley-style sunglasses on top of his head. He had a tattoo on his upper-right bicep area and spoke with a voice that sounded like a "deep growl" and smelled of cigarettes, police said.

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The amphitheater and Classroom Unit buildings, which are used as lecture halls, were not in use Sunday, Burns said. He said the area is roughly between Quarry Plaza and Science Hill.

He said such attacks are rare on campus. Four forcible sex offenses were reported on campus in 2011, the latest year statistics are available, Burns said.

"It doesn't make it any less serious of a crime, but in other cases, the victim knew the perpetrator," he said. "This obviously wasn't the case this time."

Campus police issued a "be on the lookout" alert to other county law enforcement agencies, Burns said. They also alerted campus residents and others, including those on the university's Cruz Alert system that sends urgent text messages and calls, he said.

Police ask anyone with information about the case to call investigators at 831-459-2231. Reports may also be made anonymously by calling 831-459-3TIP or online at http://police.ucsc.edu.